Extra, Extra

Strait Flushed: “That loss leaves Trump, who had been hoping to win back control of the Strait of Hormuz from Iran, with a bitter surprise. His enemies now control both of the two important straits in the Middle East, through which a combined total of about a third of the world’s oil shipments pass every day. It also underscores a stubborn fact: For all the setbacks suffered by Iran’s ‘Axis of Resistance’ over the past year or two, its forces retain an ideological fervor and an esprit de corps that is sorely lacking on the other side. The Gulf states’ failure to work together against the Houthis has been catastrophic, and it echoes Trump’s own failure to devise a plausible or coordinated strategy against Iran.” Robert F Worth: Trump Loses the Other Strait. Meanwhile, “Trump held at least two ‌phone conversations with the Saudi leader on Thursday, sources said. In the end, Washington told Riyadh that it was not willing to take direct military ​action for now but would help with intelligence sharing and targeting, the two sources said.

+ It Was a Helluva Run: The largest ever outbreak of cyclosporiasis in the U.S. is officially over. (That’s according to the CDC, which makes this seem like a smart time to buy toilet paper futures.)

+ Talarico Suave: Jimmy Kimmel’s interview with Democratic Senate candidate from Texas James Talarico was not televised because of threats from the FCC. So they put it on YouTube. It has more than 3 million views so far. Let’s add to that number.

+ They Made Each Other a Pledge: “He stopped and demanded they follow him in a pledge. ‘I pledge to the greatest president in the history of the United States,’ he began, as the audience repeated his words, ‘that loves us so much he can’t even breathe …’ I must pause here and assure you that I am not making any of this up.” Tom Nichols on Trump’s Weird Loyalty Pledge (during an otherwise weird night.)

+ Out With The Toga, In With the Yoga: “On a recent Saturday at the University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa, Olivia Suskowicz, a sophomore, got ready for a party. She picked an outfit, grabbed her sorority sister and headed out the door to join hundreds of other college students at a fraternity house where a D.J. was already spinning tunes. The workout was set to begin at noon.” Trading Keggers for ‘Wellness Darties’ … A new crop of college students is finding balance at daytime parties with yoga, saunas and cold plunges. (That headline alone is enough to drive me to drink…)